Keith Olbermann spreads conspiracy theory that Trump 'lied' about getting shot

Left-wing commentator Keith Olbermann pushed the baseless conspiracy theory that former President Donald Trump lied about being hit by a bullet during an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last week.

In a post on X, Olbermann teased an episode of his podcast and wrote, “Why is Trump lying about the assassination attempt?"

“Five days later there is no confirmation, not even an anonymous statement, from law enforcement or a medical authority that he was hit by a bullet," he said.

Olbermann’s post quickly faced backlash, with users on X labeling his claims as conspiratorial. A community note was added to the post, citing a Reuters report that confirmed Trump was indeed shot in the ear during the Pennsylvania rally. Olbermann's comments echo those of MSNBC's Joy Reid who also tried to push the false narrative that Trump was not shot. Reid posted a video this week arguing that it could have been "glass" that hit Trump in the ear rather than a bullet.

Former White House physician Ronny Jackon released a statement on Saturday that explained in detail the extent of Trump’s wounds. Jackson said that the bullet fired at Trump came “less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head.” 

"The bullet track produced a 2 cm wide wound that extended down to the cartilaginous surface of the ear," Jackson explained. "There was initially significant bleeding, followed by marked swelling of the entire upper ear."

Back in March, Olbermann made a post on X that implied he hoped Trump would be shot in the head and killed. In response to a video of Trump at a rally claiming he has been treated worse than Abraham Lincoln, Olbermann said “There’s always the hope.”